Post by on Feb 22, 2012 20:07:19 GMT -5

All These Lives by Sarah Wylie (Review by Sue Mahoney)

This short novella is a sentimental spiritual emotional whirlwind tale about twin sisters; one becomes ill and the other is well. The family is monitoring her, Jena 24 hours a day making sure to protect her from any bad consequences; Jena, is becoming weaker and her twin sister Dani is being torn apart, mentally, emotionally and spiritually feeling lost for not being able to help her own flesh and blood health condition get better. Then she remembers a conversation she had with her mother one day and takes the belief and decides this might be the antidote to make her sister live another day, and another, transferring her life vital energies to her sister.

Daniella (Dani) goes through her personal exploration about life and death; she is in a personal storm that is blowing her here and there leaving her with more questions than resolutions which has her challenging herself to find a resolution to her emotional pain. She risks herself in ways that impacts the reader's psyche and empathizes with Dani as she is releasing her doubts and fears through her subconscious; opening her essence to the knowledge of the universe and the core of human existence. She is like the walking dead part of the time because she cannot accept the finality of losing a loved one; and has to deal with the family dynamics of having an ill member to take care of. Her emotions of love and denial are her reality of what is occurring with her sister.

This is heart wrenching personal encounter of a young teenager's journey through the seven stages of grieving; caught in the dance of life and death. Both sisters and their family have to come to grips with living one day at a time; enjoying the present moment and not looking beyond. There are joyous and sorrow incidents in this tale but very enlightening as the reader can senses the love and possible lost the sisters experience together, creating life-time memories. 4 Ravens